Nuclear Ambitions? Iran Gives Its Side of the Story

Contrary to what has become an article of faith in the American media, Iran has no ambition to build nuclear weapons. Our resumption of nuclear research, after more than two years of voluntary suspension, is completely in accord with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In light of our cooperation with the agency, on what legal basis has Iran been asked to forfeit "inalienable rights" enjoyed by others? Your editorial's insinuation of "Iran's drive to build nuclear weapons" is contradicted by the agency's conclusion in a 2003 report that "to date, there is no evidence that the previously undeclared nuclear material and activities referred to above were related to a nuclear weapons program."

The lack of negative world reaction to threats of aggression against Iran because of unfounded fears is appalling. Haven't we learned lessons from Iraq?

In the interest of averting a crisis, Iran has offered to continue good-faith negotiations with Europe. Iran reiterates its moral antipathy to nuclear weapons and commitment to a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.

Mansour Sadeghi Washington, Jan. 23, 2006

The writer is counselor and head of the press section of the Iranian Mission to the United Nations.